diff --git a/cmd/pilotctl/verify_flow.go b/cmd/pilotctl/verify_flow.go
index 726dc671..736a2bd6 100644
--- a/cmd/pilotctl/verify_flow.go
+++ b/cmd/pilotctl/verify_flow.go
@@ -155,12 +155,22 @@ func cmdVerifyProvider(flags map[string]string, provider string) {
 
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(10 * time.Minute)
 	var badge, badgeSig string
+	// Tolerate transient poll failures (a dropped frame, a relay blip) rather
+	// than aborting a flow the user may have already half-completed. Only give
+	// up after several consecutive errors.
+	const maxPollErrors = 5
+	pollErrors := 0
 	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
 		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 		poll, err := verifierRoundtrip(d, vaddr, verifierRequest{Op: "poll", FlowID: begin.FlowID})
 		if err != nil {
-			fatalCode("connection_failed", "verify poll: %v", err)
+			pollErrors++
+			if pollErrors >= maxPollErrors {
+				fatalCode("connection_failed", "verify poll: %d consecutive failures: %v", pollErrors, err)
+			}
+			continue
 		}
+		pollErrors = 0
 		switch poll.Status {
 		case "ready":
 			badge, badgeSig = poll.Badge, poll.BadgeSig
diff --git a/cmd/pilotctl/zz_verify_cmds_test.go b/cmd/pilotctl/zz_verify_cmds_test.go
index ae494023..cc0b275f 100644
--- a/cmd/pilotctl/zz_verify_cmds_test.go
+++ b/cmd/pilotctl/zz_verify_cmds_test.go
@@ -126,3 +126,52 @@ func TestNodeArgToID(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("address: got %d, want 99", got)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestCmdRecoveryRecoverInstallsNewIdentity covers the most destructive command:
+// keyless force-rotate via the registry, then install the new identity locally.
+func TestCmdRecoveryRecoverInstallsNewIdentity(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	newKey := filepath.Join(dir, "new.json")
+	id, err := crypto.GenerateIdentity()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("keygen: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := crypto.SaveIdentity(newKey, id); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("save new key: %v", err)
+	}
+	newPub := crypto.EncodePublicKey(id.PublicKey)
+	idPath := filepath.Join(dir, "installed.json")
+
+	r := newFakeRegistry(t)
+	var gotPub, gotRecovery string
+	r.on("recover_identity", func(req map[string]interface{}) map[string]interface{} {
+		gotPub, _ = req["new_public_key"].(string)
+		gotRecovery, _ = req["recovery"].(string)
+		return map[string]interface{}{"type": "recover_identity_ok", "ok": true, "node_id": float64(99)}
+	})
+	useRegistry(t, r)
+
+	prev := jsonOutput
+	defer func() { jsonOutput = prev }()
+	jsonOutput = true
+	_ = captureStdout(t, func() {
+		cmdRecovery([]string{"recover", "--node", "99", "--new-key", newKey,
+			"--recovery", "pilotrecover:v1:99:bmV3:Y29t:9999999999:nn:rec-v1", "--recovery-sig", "c2ln",
+			"--identity", idPath})
+	})
+
+	if gotRecovery == "" {
+		t.Fatal("registry never received recover_identity")
+	}
+	if gotPub != newPub {
+		t.Errorf("registry got new_public_key=%q, want the new-key pubkey %q", gotPub, newPub)
+	}
+	// The recovered key must be installed at the daemon identity path.
+	installed, err := crypto.LoadIdentity(idPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("new identity not installed at %s: %v", idPath, err)
+	}
+	if crypto.EncodePublicKey(installed.PublicKey) != newPub {
+		t.Errorf("installed identity does not match the recovered key")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/tunnel.go b/pkg/daemon/tunnel.go
index 337f41f4..0a59ff81 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/tunnel.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/tunnel.go
@@ -791,6 +791,19 @@ var TunnelKeepaliveInterval = 25 * time.Second
 // "ping" packet. The encrypted payload still authenticates as us
 // (peer's AEAD verifies our nodeID AAD), so an attacker can't forge
 // keepalives to keep stale entries warm.
+// newKeepalivePacket builds the tiny ProtoControl/PortPing keepalive. It
+// stamps our own node id as the inner source: the receiver enforces
+// pkt.Src.Node == the AEAD-authenticated peer, so a zero-Src keepalive would
+// be dropped as spoofed and the peer's NAT mapping would then expire.
+func (tm *TunnelManager) newKeepalivePacket() *protocol.Packet {
+	return &protocol.Packet{
+		Version:  protocol.Version,
+		Protocol: protocol.ProtoControl,
+		DstPort:  protocol.PortPing,
+		Src:      protocol.Addr{Node: tm.loadNodeID()},
+	}
+}
+
 func (tm *TunnelManager) keepaliveSweep(now time.Time) int {
 	type peerInfo struct {
 		id   uint32
@@ -814,11 +827,7 @@ func (tm *TunnelManager) keepaliveSweep(now time.Time) int {
 
 	sent := 0
 	for _, p := range stale {
-		ka := &protocol.Packet{
-			Version:  protocol.Version,
-			Protocol: protocol.ProtoControl,
-			DstPort:  protocol.PortPing,
-		}
+		ka := tm.newKeepalivePacket()
 		plaintext, err := ka.Marshal()
 		if err != nil {
 			continue
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/zz_nat_keepalive_bug_test.go b/pkg/daemon/zz_nat_keepalive_bug_test.go
index 951495f5..0e008a4a 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/zz_nat_keepalive_bug_test.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/zz_nat_keepalive_bug_test.go
@@ -233,6 +233,28 @@ func TestHandleEncryptedDropsKeepaliveBeforeRecvCh(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestKeepalivePacketStampsOwnSource pins the fix for the regression where the
+// transport src-binding check dropped NAT keepalives: keepaliveSweep left
+// Src.Node=0, but the receiver enforces pkt.Src.Node == the authenticated peer,
+// so a zero-Src keepalive was dropped and the NAT mapping then expired. The
+// keepalive must carry our own node id (= the peer id from the receiver's view).
+func TestKeepalivePacketStampsOwnSource(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	tm := NewTunnelManager()
+	t.Cleanup(func() { tm.Close() })
+
+	const selfID uint32 = 0xAB00CD01
+	tm.SetNodeID(selfID)
+
+	ka := tm.newKeepalivePacket()
+	if ka.Src.Node != selfID {
+		t.Fatalf("keepalive Src.Node = %#x, want own id %#x — a zero/wrong Src is dropped by the receiver's spoof check, expiring the NAT mapping", ka.Src.Node, selfID)
+	}
+	if ka.Protocol != protocol.ProtoControl || ka.DstPort != protocol.PortPing {
+		t.Fatalf("keepalive shape wrong: protocol=%d dstport=%d", ka.Protocol, ka.DstPort)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestRecordOutboundSendStampsTimestamp pins the half of the fix that
 // already lands in RED: every successful writeFrame call must update
 // tm.lastOutboundSend[nodeID] so the eventual keepaliveSweep can tell